Eben t



E. T. STARR.-

I Revolver.

Patented Dec. 19,1865.

jzvenl or Wfnesge:

Warren ST TES EBEN r. STARR, OF NEW YORK, lav.

- lMPlQOVEMENT IN REAIOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming'part of Letters Patent No. lihfififi, datedDecember 19, 1865 antedated December 7,1865.

To all whom it mat concern;

Be it known that I, EBEN T. STARR, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, havei'nvented certain new and useful Improvements 'in RevolvingFire-Arms; and I hereby declare improvements. Fig.2 is a centrallongitudinal vertical section of the principal parts of the same. Fig. 3is a front view of the cylinder and the cartridge-guard, the latterbeing partly in section. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectionof thecylinder,eartridge-guard,andpartofthefi'ame.

Similar letters uof'reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

This invention relates to revolvers which are loaded in front of thecylinder with metallic cartridges which contain a fulrninata' Itconsists in a novel device for preventing the cartridges andcartridge-shells from accidentally slipping out from or forward in thechambers of the cylinder, but which affords facility for the ejection ofthe discharged shells, or the cartridges themselves, if desired, fromthe chambers;

It also consists in a novel eiector'for ejecting. the dischargedcartridge shells or-cartridges from the chambers.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the cylinder, constructed for loading in front-that is to say,havingbottdms to its chambers, or, in other words, not having the bores.of the chambers extended through its rear. This cylinder is applied torotate within the frame B, and may be securedtherein in any suitablemanner.

C is the novel device whichl term the cartridge-guard, arranged betweenthe front of the cylinder and the frame 13', and close to the cylinder,for preventing the cartridges and discharged cartridge-shells fromaccidentally slippingout from or forward. in the cylinder. This guardconsists of a plate or piece of steel or other metal of bifurcated orannular form, substantially as shown in Fig, 3, pivoted to the frame Bin front of the cylinder and below the axis thereof. Its pivota isrepresentedas being' formed in the same piece with or rigidly attachedto it, and fitted to a circular hole bored through the front part of theframe, and secured against longitudinal displacement, when the cylinderis -removed from the frames bymeans of a transverse pin, b, in-- sertedthrough the 'frame B and through a groove, 0, in the said pivot; but theguard 1 may be pivoted to the frame in a similar posi tion in anyothermanner. The guard is large enohgh externally to cover portions of themonths of as many ofthe several chambers bl) as are noteither wholly orpartly covered by therear end of the barrehwhich fits close against thefront end of the cylinder. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which therear end of the barrel is shown in; red'outline covering the mouths ofthe two upper chambers, and the mo'uths of the other chambers are allshown as partly coveredby the fork or ring, so that the cartridgescontained therein cannot slip forward, the shells-of the'cartridgeswhich are employed being just of the full length of the chambers. Theguard is held in the necessary position to do this by means of a-spring,d, which is secured by a screw; d, to the left side of the frame, infront ofpthe, cylinder, and which presses the guard into contact withthe front journal, e, or axis-pin. The said spring d'appears on theright side of the guard in Fig.3; but it must be borne in mind that thisis a front view,'and representsthesides reversed. The opening t-providedin .the'guar'd .to admit the front journal of the cylinder or theaxis-pin is wide enough to allow the guard to be pressed aside,-as shown.in red outline in Fig. 3, far enough to uncover the mouths of thechambers 'as they are severally brought by the revolution of thecylinder to the position of. that marked b:- viz., directly at the rightof the axis of the cylinder, which is the position for-loading, andwhich allows the cartridge to be inserted past the right side of thefront portion of the frame; v I

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 that the portion of the guard onthe last-mentioned side i of its opening iis narrower than that on theopposite to permit its movement to be made in the proper direction fromits central position, (shown in that figure in black outline,)1n which 2areas .of the frame, in front of the guard, parallel, or

nearly so, with'the axis of the cylinder, and opposite to the chamber,in the position ot'th t marked b, is pushed back by the thumb apd fingeragainst the bevel f with sufficient f0 cc to overcome the pressure ofthe springd, 1d so push aside the guard far enough to uncover the saidchamber and allow thecartridge to enter, and the cartridge may then bepushed back into the chamber. When the cartridge has been pushed homethe guard is pressed back by the spring at to the position shown inFigs. 3 and 4. When the discharged shell or cartridge is to be withdrawnfrom the chamber the guard is pushed aside far enough to uncover themouth of the ehainberby the pressure of the thumb applied to itonthe-loading side. The guard 0 might be so constructed that the portionon the loading side only shall be movable.

E, Fig. 1, is the ejector forejecting the-discharged cartrid ge-shellsor the cartridges from thechambers; This is made in the form of ahammer,and arrangedto operatein the are or" a circle on the right-handiorloading side of the frame A, behind'the cylinder, where itis pivoted bya screw, ,-.to the lower part of the frame. To allow this ejector to beused the cylinder has an opening, h, Fig. 2, provided in the rear ofeach chamber, into which the nose or point Kof the ejector can enter andpass to push the eartridge-shell or cartridge far enough forward fromthe chamber to enableits front end part to 1 be laid-hold of in front ofthe cylinder by the thumb andlfingerand thereby drawn out. The openingit is the same through which the hammer-F strikes to/explodethe..fulmina,te in the cartridge. The aid ejector is so arranged thatits point or nose K may enter the chambers as jection on the frame A, asshown in Fig. 1 in black outline, out of the way of the cylinder,

at all times but when it is desired to expel the cartridges or shellsfrom the chambers. When the chambers are brought to the position of b,before mentioned, the ejector maybe pressed "forward by the thumb to theposition shown in red outline in Fig. 1, and its nose, entering theopposite chamber, pushes forward the cartridge-shell or cartridge fromthe said oh amber.

F' is the hammer. made with a nose, m, of pointed or other suitablei'orm,to enter theopenin gs h provided in the cylinder coin m nnicatin gwith the several chambers near the centers or aXee ofth'e bores thereof,and having its center of ,motion a s0 arranged as to permit the saidnose to strike in a forward dire tion into the said openings, as shownin Fig. 2, when the chambers are severally brought into line withthebarrel for firing. By this construction and arrangement of thehammer, in combination with suitable openings, h, in the rear of thechambers of the cylinders, I am enabled'to usefixed-ammunitioncartridges, made with what is termed a centralfire-'that is to say, having the fulniinate arranged in the centers oftheirbottoms, without the interposition ofa pin between the hammer andthe'cartridges-thns enabling central-fire cartridges to be used in arevolver'of a simpler constructionthan any in which such cartridges havebeen heretofore used. The cartridges are sup.- ported against theforward blow of the hammer by having the shells made ofalength equal tothe full length of the chambers, so that their front ends will bearagainst the rear end of the barrel.

What I claim as-my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The cartridge-guard O, constructed, applied, and operating under thecontrol of a spring, d, substantially as herein specified.

\ 2. The ejector E, arranged to operate in the are of a circle in rearof the cylinder, on one side of the frame of a revolving fire-arm, andoperating substantially as hereinset forth.

EB'EN T. STARR.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, J. W. GooMBs.

